Northpinellas: Revised causeway design cuts some costly extras

CLEARWATER -- Originally, the new Clearwater Memorial Causeway was to showcase a one-of-a-kind handrail that would have lit up the night with a thin ribbon of light over Clearwater Harbor.

The bridge's designers also included benches, shelters and pastel-colored concrete in their early drawings.

But with the bridge's price tag having risen to $59.5-million, the city has decided to rein in the signature statements and stick with the essentials.

"I want a basic bridge that will work, that we can afford," said Mayor Brian Aungst. "I don't need a whole lot of bells, whistles and toys on it."

The nearly complete bridge design was put on display at the final public hearing on the bridge last week at Harborview Center.

Besides the ribbon-of-light handrail, the plans showed that the city has also cut from the project lavish landscaping and pedestrian benches adorned with shelters.

An aluminum guardrail, painted sky blue, now will be used. The street lights will be similar to what's used around the city. And the landscaping will be limited to sod around the bridge's entryways, unless the city can find money for something else. All told, as much as $3.5-million in amenities haven't made it into the almost final design of the bridge.

The city also cut a ramp to the bridge from Pierce Street, which could have added another $700,000, although it would have created a more direct connection to the Cleveland Street retail district.

Designers say the new causeway will still be unique. It will have a slightly curving, sleek frame with fewer columns than most bridges. There will be wide and clear vistas of Clearwater Harbor under the bridge's 74-foot-high span.

If all goes as planned, the bridge will replace an existing 37-year-old drawbridge to the beach and open to traffic by early 2004.

"I'm really happy with the way it turned out," said Frederick Gottemoeller, an engineer with a Maryland firm that designed the bridge. "I think people will really be surprised at the contribution it makes to the waterfront."

If there's ever a desire to restore some of the design flourishes, city commissioners can look for money in future budgets, said City Engineer Mike Quillen. It's also possible some money could be left over after construction for extra items.

Some commissioners support adding more lighting to the new causeway, similar to how the Clearwater Pass Bridge to Sand Key is illuminated. But that could add as much as $400,000 to the bridge budget, Quillen said, so it will have to be debated next year.

Commissioners also will have to find money to replace the downtown fishing pier, which is set to be demolished to make way for the new bridge, Quillen said. The pier would be rebuilt on the old pilings of the current causeway.

Original estimates put the bridge's cost at $26-million to $32-million in 1997. Now it's at $59.5-million, city records show.

On top of that, the city will have more bills after fighting at least two lawsuits to halt the bridge's construction and paying up to $6-million in interest on money borrowed to finance the project.

To finance the bridge, the city secured $45-million in state, federal and county money. That leaves the city picking up about $14.5-million, plus additional legal and financing costs.

Commissioner Ed Hart criticizes the city for not including some costs for the bridge from estimates released to the public during the past year.

"I think we haven't been honest or realistic in the way we present costs to the public," Hart said. "It's a lot more than was ever advertised. I still get calls that we should have had a referendum on this."

Quillen, the city engineer, gave two reasons why the numbers changed.

"One is just plain old inflation over the years, and the other is the way the state has required us to calculate our costs, compared to what they think will be the cost of items," Quillen said. The city is working with the state to build the bridge.

"I think it was just that as the design got more firmed up, it was easier to put real numbers to it," Quillen said.

City staff members expect the bridge design to be completed by April 2001. Pending the outcome of litigation over the bridge, the city expects construction to start after October 2001 with completion at the end of 2003.

"We're still on schedule," Quillen said.

Public Works Administrator Mahshid Arasteh was so excited to have reached last week's final major meeting on the bridge that she brought her parents to see the bridge drawings. She began working on the bridge six years ago, when she was at the Florida Department of Transportation.

"I was telling everyone, we've accomplished so much," Arasteh said, "it's time to celebrate."

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